Opening a food business

The Food Act 2014

The Food Act 2014 came into force on 1 March 2016. The Act applies to all new food businesses.

New food safety measures

The Act brings in the following new food safety measures:

Food Control Plans

A food control plan sets out the steps a business making or selling higher-risk foods needs to take to make safe food. It is used to identify food safety risks, and to show how they're being managed. Further information on FCPs can be found on the Ministry of Primary Industries website (MPI).

National Programmes

A national programme is the way that lower-risk food businesses operate under the Food Act 2014. Further information on National Programmes can found on the MPI website.

Verification of Food Control Plans or National Programmes

Your business will need to be verified (audited) when you first register it. For information on the frequency of subsequent verifications required for food businesses, please contact an Environmental Health Officer at the Hastings District Council.

Please note:

Currently Council is not providing a verification service for businesses on National Programmes. Therefore you will need to find a private auditor and arrange to have verification's from them. You will need to specify who your auditor is when you register your business. Visit the MPI Auditor list here.

Where does your business fit in the new food regime?

To help you find out what food safety measure your business needs to operate under, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) have developed a “where do I fit tool?”.

Businesses currently operating under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974

Existing businesses will transition from the old Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 over the next 3 years. Some food businesses such as restaurants holding an alcohol licence must transition during the first year.

At the end of the three-year transition period the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 will be revoked.

If you have concerns or complaints about a food business relating to issues such as cleanliness, food hygiene practices, food safety issues or foreign objects found in food please contact the Environmental Health team at the Council.

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